White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. - The first great New Orleans Saints defensive lineman was Doug Atkins, a mountain of a man who towered over his teammates and intimidated all who crossed his path.

Ed Staton, who covered the first Saints team for The Times-Picayune, once described Atkins thusly, "You said to yourself, this man wasn't born. The arctic ice cracked, an explosion followed, and this awesome 6-8, 270-pounder came out."

I think of Staton's prose when I watch Saints defensive tackle Akiem Hicks walk onto the practice field. This isn't a man. He's a mammoth.

And the scary part for opposing NFL offensive linemen and coordinators is Hicks is only beginning to harness his tremendous physical skills and talent.

Fresh off a season in which he ranked among the league leaders in run stops by a interior defensive lineman in his first year as a full-time starter, he appears poised for a breakout year. With continued development, better technique and improved stamina, Hicks is on a collision course with the Pro Bowl.

"This is his third year," Jordan said. "He's interned. He's a force to be reckoned with. When he makes up his mind, at 6-5, 340 pounds, you're not going to change it. I wouldn't want to be in front of him."

Unfortunately, Jordan did get in front of Hicks the other day in practice and paid the price with a sprained ankle. His won't be the first collateral damage wrought by Hicks this year.

Jordan and bookend pass rusher Junior Galette earned most of the attention from fans and reporters along the Saints' defensive line last season. But it was the massive Hicks who attracted the interest of opposing offensive linemen.

By the end of the season, he was drawing constant double-team blocks, allowing the tireless Jordan and fleet Galette to work against single blocks from opponents. They thrived, becoming the Saints' first tandem in a decade to each record double-digit sacks in a season.

"Good clay to shape," is how Saints defensive line coach Bill Johnson describes the raw but talented Hicks. "He does a lot of stuff naturally. The technique might not look good, but the job's getting done. My challenge with him is to keep the ball moving forward so he can become what we all think he can become."

The Saints' best pass rushers have always been complemented by interior forces. Pat Swilling and Rickey Jackson had Frank Warren and Jim Wilks. Joe Johnson and Darren Howard had La'Roi Glover and Norman Hand.

Ask Jordan and Galette about their breakout 2013 campaigns and they're quick to note the dirty work Hicks performed inside.

Few Saints defensive linemen have ever possessed the package of raw physical skills that Hicks owns. At 6-5 and listed at 324 pounds, his frame and reach are more suited to play defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. But his rare lower-body strength and powerful punch allow him to anchor inside when he slides to defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. Saints offensive linemen insist he can't be blocked by a single man, with the notable exception of All-Pro guard Jahri Evans.

Hicks' serpentine path to the NFL has been well documented. The Sacramento, Calif., native played a pair of junior colleges before joining LSU's famed 2009 recruiting class. Twelve members of the 24-man class would become NFL players, among them first-round draft picks Morris Claiborne, Barkevious Mingo and Michael Brockers.

Hicks never played a down for LSU. His college career was derailed when he was declared ineligible because of NCAA recruiting violations.

He eventually found his way to Regina University in Saskatchewan, Canada, where coach Frank McCrystal mentored him into a star.

"Certainly, his physicality and intensity set him apart from guys at our level," McCrystal said. "From Day 1, Akiem was focused on his goal to play in the NFL and we're very, very happy that he's been able to realize that goal."

McCrystal said the affable Hicks was just as impressive off the field as on it. He was one of the most popular players in the locker room and in the community.

"When I spoke to the assistant A.D. (athletic director) at LSU, he and everyone else I talked to was in his corner," McCrystal said. "I thought, everybody loves this guy. And it didn't take us long to see why."

Hicks has become equally popular in among his Saints teammates, some of whom just recently discovered he was born and raised in California rather than Canada.

It's scary to think what Hicks might become once he polishes his skills and masters his technique. Right now he gets by largely on his natural strength and talent. He's athletic enough to play in space, which he did often on Canada's wider fields. Only Brodrick Bunkley rivals him in the weight room, where he squats more than 700 pounds.

"Strongest guy I know," Brockers once said of Hicks.

"Man, I leave the weight room when he comes in, that guy tries to embarrass me," Galette kidded.

Few doubt the driven Hicks will fail to reach his lofty goals. His work ethic is unquestioned.

The value of hard work was engrained in Hicks at an early age from his father, a 22-year Army man and post office worker.

Throughout his journey to the NFL, Hicks held a collection of odd jobs, among them:

A cart pusher at a local grocery store in Sacramento. ("I wasn't allowed to work inside because I was only 17.")

A host at a Sacramento Applebees. ("The old ladies loved me. They pinched my cheeks.")

A custodian at a condominium complex in Baton Rouge near the LSU campus. ("I needed to pay the rent.")

And a service rep at a DirecTV call center in Colorado Springs, Colo. ("The NFL Sunday Ticket package was the best part -- commission.")

"With my dad, if you weren't working, you were going to school, and if you weren't going to school, you were working," Hicks said.

"It was all with an end goal in mind. The entire time that I'm working I'm thinking how am I going to make this dream of mine come true. I wasn't just haphazardly taking jobs. I knew if I do these things, I work hard, I work out, I play football well, I get to the place that I want to be. It was all for a final destination."

Hicks has reached his final destination but in his mind he still hasn't arrived. He said he's "nowhere near" where he wants to be as a player and remains a work in progress. To that end, he works against Evans daily in practice.

"I just want to keep improving," Hicks said. "One thing about this organization, it doesn't really matter how you got here, they're going to give you a chance to play, a chance to prove yourself. That's why I'm so happy I got drafted here. And to come back to Louisiana, how cool is that?"